Busy French Thesp Anais Demoustier Brings Two Films to Toronto Fest

Anais Demoustier grew up in the North of France with her three siblings, and developed a love for cinema thanks to her brother, Stephane Demoustier, who’s now a director and producer. (His latest film, “Terre Battue,” unspooled in Venice’s Critics Week.)

The 26-year-old’s career took off in 2003 when, at age 13, in her second film, she co-starred alongside Isabelle Huppert in Michael Haneke’s “Time of the Wolf.” “I remember being fascinated by her,” Demoustier says of Huppert. “She was in a bubble during the shoot, completely immersed in her role. It made me want to be become part of this world that’s full of strong emotions and enlightening encounters.”

WORKING ACTRESS

Anais has made some 30 movies, working with some of France’s most respected filmmakers, from Christophe Honore (“The Beautiful Person”) to Robert Guediguian (“The Snows of Kilimanjaro”) and Bertrand Tavernier (“The French Minister”). She’s currently filming Jerome Bonnell’s comedy “A Trois on y va,” and has three high-profile French pics in the pipeline. “I think that starting my career with Haneke attracted many young directors, who immediately saw me as a serious actress,” Demoustier says.

ALL GROWN UP

At the Toronto festival, she toplines two films: Pascale Ferran’s “Bird People” and Francois Ozon’s “The New Girlfriend.” “In Ozon’s film,” she says, “I sense that I’m finally accessing the part of a woman — that I’m no longer trapped in the role of a young adult.”